Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Well everyone this week had
been great. I got to skype with my family!! :) that was the highlight of the
week. It was great seeing all of my family. Love you guys haha. I hope that
everyone that has a missionary out got to see them! Hope you guys had a
wonderful Christmas.

Well this week we found some
really positive people to teach. On Christmas we went to an old folks home and
gave out presents to them. They were so old and cute haha. I loved the
Christmas time here in Panama. It was a good way to contact people because we
would sing them a Christmas hymn.

Well around Santiago there has
been a bad case of the Chicken Pox. One little kids had it then all of a sudden
everyone and there dog had it. There are like 15 people in the branch that have
it right now. Some of which are adults and some kids. Good thing all the
missionaries have the shot.

Anyways, I hope everyone had a
great Christmas not only getting cool Christmas presents but also remembering
the true meaning of the holiday. Remember that Heavenly Father loves you and
that he sent his son to die for us. So that we can all return to live with him
someday. Love you guys and miss you tons!!

I am super excited to see you guys through skype this Christmas. I cant wait to
hear how things are going. I cant believe Ive been out on my mission for almost
6 months. only 1 year left wow!! I miss you guys a ton!! See you all in like 3
days. Love you!!

Well everyone this week has
been really weird. We didnt really do to much missionary work. We were in the
city for most of the week because we had immigrations. But the two days that we
did work we worked super hard. We contacted this lady on the street and she
told us to come back anytime we want. We went to her house yesterday and she
told us that we could come over on Christmas Eve and share a message with her
whole family and we could eat. Super excited for that. We also had a less
active come to church that hasnt came in years. When she walked in the door my
face lit up. I was super excited.Well not much time this week. Hope you all
have a wonderful Christmas!!

Monday, December 15, 2014

So this week has just
been all over the place. My companion Hermana Bennett left to go home last week
and I got a call about a few days before she left to tell me that I would be
training someone. I was not very excited when they told me that it was someone
from the states. I thought for sure that I was going to have a Latina companion
next and that my Spanish would improve a ton. I went to go pick up my companion
for the mission presidents house and I had no clue who she was going to be.
President said that he still needed to pray about it. As the other trainers and
I sat waiting for our new companions I was anxious to see where my MTC
companions where going to go. Everyone dream in the mission is to serve on
Blas, which are the islands. I have wanted to go since I have been out. While
wait I got a call from Hermana Hall, my MTC comp. Guess where she was going???
BLAS!! I was soo happy for her but at the same time a little jealous. I didn't
really want to be training and do the thing the Lord wanted me to be doing.
When I got my new comp. we both realized that we both only speak a little bit
of Spanish. We both new that this change in going to be hard. I have never
prayed so much in my life. I now understand why I am training. Its not for her
but for me. I am learning so much from my new comp. Her name is Hermana Smith.
She is from Utah! We have both decided that thing change was going to be the
best in the mission. We have been working really hard and are going to do great
things. We both speak enough Spanish that we can teach a very good lesson. Im
so excited to see what this change has in store for us. Well not enough time
this week but here are some pictures that have been long over due. Love you
alll and have a great week!!

-Hermana Patrick

Some of the Elders in my Zone

My
old MTC comapnions got to see each other last week while my old companion was
saying by to all her areas. This is us on a bus

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Well
guys yesterday was mothers day here in Panama. So happy mothers day everyone!!!
Hope it was awesome haha..

Well
this week has been killer hard for me. Lets just start off with that for some
reason for the past week Ive had diarrhea. Not really sure why but its
happening haha. But all better now.

This
week we also only had 50 people at church which is super low. It was really sad
but this next week we are going to work hard so that EVERYONE is there.

Along
with all of this I got told at least 5 or 6 times that I dont know how to speak
spanish and when my companion leaves its going to be really hard. So that has
been really hard. I also got called the B word by some guys on the street the
other day. It was actually quite impressive, they spoke English very
well.

Hard
week but I will push through and keep getting better. So today while on the bus
with my companion that leaves tomorrow I got a phone call from the Elders. They
called to tell me that I needed to be at the mission presidents house at 10 am
tomorrow morning. I was so confused.. But they later told me that I needed to
go to a trainers meeting because I will be getting a new companion tomorrow in
which she is brand new to the mission and I will be training her. The first
words from my mouth were "wait your joking right, I cant train."
After they assured me that it was not a joke they then told me they think it is
an American from the states that doesnt speak any Spanish. The whole two hour
bus ride I was super worried and thinking... how can I do this? Two people that
dont speak spanish very well. I called Hermanas Hall and Anderson (my MTC
comps) and I really loved something they told me. They said that Heavenly
Father trust me so much that he gave me one of his children to watch over and
train this early in the mission. I now am starting to prep for my new
companion. I want to give her the best first companion ever and have her really
enjoy the mission. Keep us in your prayers because we are really gonna need it.
Teaching lessons is going to be rather hard but Im super excited for all thats
in store. Pictures to come next week when I see her tomorrow.

This
week we went on a visit with the Elders to give a blessing to a really sick
little girl. Her family is really poor and they live in this place where there
are like 20 other family that are poor as well. They feed them what they can
and let the sleep but there is nothing really more that they have other then
each other. There beds were cardboard boxes and like 2 pair of clothes. After
the blessing of the little girl the family asked when we were going to come
back to visit them. We are going back on friday and Im super excited. We are
going to do everything we can to bring Christmas to this family this year. They
have 3 kids and are very sweet. They are not members but I think with time they
will see that the gospel will bless them a ton!! Im super excited about this
family. We will see what happens.

Well
guys something that I really have been trying to apply in my life lately is the
atonement of our savior Jesus Christ. On this mission I have really come
to learn what it means for ME! I am so greatful for the gospel and for the many
blessings it has brought me in my life. Well I love you all and miss you tons..
Christmas is coming soon. Send me letters :) haha. Love you guys!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Hola, How was
thanksgiving/black friday shopping?? I hope super awesome!!!

Well everyone I had my first baptism
on Saturday. It was amazing!! After Britany came up from the water she said,
"I feel different". It was a great experience and I will never forget
it. My companion and I sang Britany a special song in English, she loved it. We
also had tons of people show up for the baptism as well, which is super
uncommon because our branch never comes to activities. We worked so hard to get
everyone there and everything turned out great. It was such a special night for
the family. They just remind me so much of how my family was before we were
members. The mom was the only member in the family but now her kid is baptized.
We are going to start working really hard with the dad so that he can do the
same. This family is great and I see wonderful things happening for them in the
future.

Well this week is the last full
week I have with my companion. She is headed home back to Idaho on the 10th of
December. It has been great having her as a comp and trainer and also super
hard at times. I have had days were I think that I get to go home as well
because she is leaving. haha its hard but Im glad that I have the comfort of
the Holy Ghost to help me. It has really been a life saver.

With all the super awesome
things this week there were also some really hard times. As most people know
(people who read the emails) I have been having a really hard time with my
district leader. Things seem better some days but other days they just get
worse. So this week my district leader decided it would be good to do some
things in the district that not everyone was on the same page with. We were all
upset and just talking really bad about are DL. I was so upset that I talk to
the mission president about it when we saw him at a conference we had this past
week. I just went to president and told him all the problems that the DL had
and not anything about me. Hermana Patrick was perfect right??? NO! but thats
what was going through my head. I didnt need to change anything about myself he
just needed to fix HIM not me. Well after several minutes of complaning to my
mission president he tells me that he will take care of the problem but not
until I prayed about it. He saw that I really have been trying to fix the
problem but I didnt take it to the Lord. So that night I got down on my knees
and prayed. I prayed to know what the Lord wanted me to do. As I studied Preach
my Gospel I was ready something that never stuck out to me before. PRIDE! The
whole time I was thinking that it was just the DL that needed to change and not
me. President came to Santiago yesterday and before he talked to the DL I went
in and told him what I had learned. That I wasnt trusting who the Lord put in
charge and was being pridful. I wrote a three page paper on what I learned and
showed it to mission President. He loved that I had changed and he wants me to
teach the stuff I wrote in the next district meeting so that our district will
get tons better. He then talked to the DL and now we all see that we have tons
of work to do. Today we have gotten along so well and Im sure there will be
many other days like these.

Sometimes we many not understand why the Lord sends us things and we many just
want to give up, but we need to figure out what we can do to endure to the end.
I love a quote that I read the other day. It says somthing like
this...."All the bad things that happen in your life, happen for a reason,
it gives you the chance to apply the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ".
It is sooo true. When we just forget about ourselves and loose the pride we
become so much more like christ. This is what I will be teaching my district on
Tuesday. The mission so far has just taught me so much about myself that I
would have never figured out on my own. They say that you come out for 18
months or 2 years to serve others and help others but at the same time you are
helping yourself. I am becoming a person I thought I would never be. The past 4
almost 5 months have changed my life. I love the mission and I love the work!!

I miss you all and love you
tons. Have a great week!! It begining to look a lot like Christmas.... not here
in Panama but its okay haha. Have a wonderful week!